Sunday April 2, 2023 
“Art In Our Time” at SLCA Gallery
SAND LAKE – Sand Lake Center for the Arts presents recent paintings by Peter Watrous Now through October 25. Artists’s Statement: “This has been a time of political strife, immigration struggles, racial unrest, and a pandemic. Some of my works reflect these harsh realities, but others are aspirational, looking to ways that we are or can act well together. These aspirational paintings celebrate our similarities, as well as our differences.” Gallery hours: Saturdays and Sundays from12 to 3pm. The artist will be at the gallery on Sunday, Sept. 20th to greet all who attend. No more than 15 people will be allowed into the gallery at one time. Masks and social distancing will be required. 2880 NY 43 Averill Park, NY 12018• slca-ctp.org
Pittstown United Methodist Church Rummage and Food Sale
PITTSTOWN – Rummage and Food Sale sponsored by the Pittstown United Methodist Church will be held on two consecutive weekends, September 11-12 and September 18-19. The hours for Fridays (11th and 18th) will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the hours for Saturdays (12th and 19th) will be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This year the Sale will be held on the Herb and Sally Backus farm, 571 Johnsonville Road, Johnsonville, NY 12094 (Town of Pittstown). The new location is just off County Route 111 near the intersection of Croll Road. For more information or directions call Herb or Sally at 518-753-4427 (home) or 518-596-0003 (cell) or email: hsbackus@nulloutlook.com. If coming from NY Route 7, look for signs. All profits from both Rummage and Food Sales will benefit the Pittstown United Methodist Church Current Expense Account. Covid Regulations will be followed. Wearing a mask is required. No masks, no entry.
Join the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York’s Virtual Walk to End Epilepsy
CAPITAL DISTRICT – Northeastern New York’s Walk to END EPILEPSY…is now VIRTUAL!
Join us the weekend of September 12th and 13th and walk in your neighborhood or park! All proceeds will be used to provide programs and services to people with epilepsy in northeastern New York. This includes the Capital Region, North Country and Upper Hudson Valley areas. All donations remain local.
New this year: No registration fee! Individuals who raise $50 or more by August 21st will receive a Walk to END EPILEPSY T-Shirt available for pick up at our office!
***If you or your loved one is living with epilepsy, a shirt is now available for you without having to fundraise. Please choose this option during registration.***
Walk on either day at any time that works best for you. We will live stream on Facebook on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 11am to celebrate our sponsors, walkers, and teams and invite you to join us with your videos and photos of you and your team. We care about you! Please be safe and adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
Begin building your teams and planning your route! Trophies will be awarded to the team with the most registered walkers and the Top Fundraisers in the following categories: Individual, Friends and Family Team, and Company Team. Register your team here: Bit.ly/EFNENYwalk2020
Since our Walk is virtual, we would like to have participants from all 22 of our counties, and hope to feature Walks from as many counties as possible during our live stream. We are also looking for sponsors in all 22 counties, and we will provide recognition to our sponsors during the live stream. Do you know a company that might like to sponsor our event? Please contact Susan at skaczynski@nullepilepsyneny.org for information on sponsor benefits.
Jigsaw Puzzle Sale to Benefit Poestenkill Library
POESTENKILL – Stock up on jigsaw puzzles for the winter months at an unusual sale of dozens of good condition used puzzles. Proceeds will benefit the Poestenkill Library. Friends of the Library will sell puzzles as part of the Poestenkill Farmers Market on Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Poestenkill Town Hall lawn. Most puzzles are 1000-piece ($5), many others are 300 or 500-piece ($3), and a few are children’s puzzles ($1). Come to find great puzzles by White Mountain Puzzles, Wysocki, Springbok, Hometown, among others. The Farmers Market requires masks and maintaining social distance, while still offering a friendly community atmosphere. Plan to buy local produce and other products while you are there! For more information contact mhopple@nullnycap.rr.com.
Mindful Nature Walk
EAST NASSAU – 10 am-12pm, Saturday, September 12, 2020. Albert Family Community Forest. 120 Hayes Road, East Nassau, NY
Rensselaer Plateau Alliance invites you to celebrate National Forest Bathing Day with us on a Mindful Nature Walk! Forest Bathing is a Japanese wellness practice that welcomes us to take in the forest atmosphere with all of our senses. Nature has the ability to calm, inspire, and restore us in all seasons — so let’s take some much-needed time to receive what is offered.
Kripalu-Certified Mindful Outdoor Guides Molly Freiberg and Sandy Wilson will guide our group to engage with nature in the present moment, as we experience it through all of our senses, to appreciate the complex wonders we often don’t notice when we are rushed or distracted. During this walk, we will be sauntering slowly, on gently rolling forested trails, for about 1.5 miles total.
No experience is necessary — beginners are welcome! Bring water and a small snack in case you get hungry or thirsty. Masks are required when we first meet up and when we gather and may be removed while we are walking in the forest with at least 10’ between participants. No contact with money or sign-in sheets will be necessary for participants as all will be pre-paid and pre-registered.
$10 suggested donation. Limited to 10 participants. Pre-registration required. Details and registration: https://www.rensselaerplateau.org/mindful-walk. Questions: Contact molly@nullrensselaerplateau.org.
Village of Castleton-on-Hudson Village Wide Garage Sale
CASTLETON-ON-HUDSON – Saturday, September 12, 2020. Begins at 9:00 AM. Maps Available Day of Event.
Fall Fish Stocking Sale, Rensselaer County
RENSSELAER COUNTY – On Saturday September 26th, 2020, the Rensselaer County Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting a Fall Fish Stocking Sale to the public. Pre-Orders are due Thursday September 17th. Order forms can be found online at https://www.renscosoilandstormwater.org/annual-fish-sale
RAINBOW TROUT: Available in size 4” – 6”; BROOK TROUT: Available in size 4” – 6”; CHANNEL CATFISH: Available in size 4” – 6”; LARGEMOUTH BASS: Available in size 3” – 4” and 6” – 8”; FATHEAD MINNOWS: Available in size 1”- 3”; FISH FOOD Silvercup floating fish food pellets sold in 40 lb bags.
Pick-ups will be at 11:30am at the USDA Service Center’s parking lot, in front of the Agriculture & Life Sciences Building. Checks can be made payable to: RENSSELAER COUNTY SWCD, Order forms and checks can be mailed to: 61 STATE STREET- TROY, NY 12180, Completed ORDER FORMS and/or questions can also be E-mailed to: Megan.Myers.RenscoSWCD@nullgmail.com
September Lecture – RPA Lecture Series
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Climate Change: The Climate Crisis, Presented by Bonnie Cook. Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 7pm on Zoom
Bonnie Cook is a certified Climate Reality Leader and adjunct English professor at Hudson Valley Community College. She recently trained with Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. She will be showing his latest slide show. As the planet warms, glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and wildfires are worsening. Climate change is already causing stronger storms, bigger floods, and ironically, bigger droughts. Bonnie will talk about what we can and should do to combat the climate crisis.
$5 suggested donation. All are welcome. Pre-registration required. Details and registration: https://www.rensselaerplateau.org/lecture-registration. Questions: Contact jim@nullrensselaerplateau.org
Wynantskill Flag Retirement/Chicken BBQ
WYNANTSKILL – The American Legion Post at 111 Main Ave. in Wynantskill, NY will be holding its annual Flag Retirement Ceremony at noon on Sunday, September 20th. If you have an American flag in need of proper disposal, you may drop it in the red, white, and blue box outside the lounge entrance facing Main Ave.
The ceremony is open to the public and will be followed by a chicken barbecue from 2-4 pm. Meal will include corn, potato, and roll. Tickets will be $15 and available by pre-order only until Thursday Sept. 17th by calling 518-227-7438. Beer, soda, and water will be available to purchase. Seating will be in the parking lot tent or takeout will be available. There will be no indoor seating, and all current social distancing and mask wearing rules at the time of the event will apply. We look forward to seeing you there!
St. Jude’s 15th Annual Fall Festival Drive-Thru
WYNANTSKILL – St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Community in Wynantskill, is holding it’s 15th annual Fall Festival on Saturday September 26th. Due to current regulations this will be a drive-thru & online event. You MUST pre-order food & raffle tickets, and you can schedule your flu shot. Ordering closes 9/19!
Entertainment will be live streamed on our Facebook page and we will feature some of our Craft Vendors so you can start your holiday shopping! We currently have over 40 items in our basket raffle and we are featuring cookies from Upstate Cookie Shack!
We still have Super Raffle Tickets available – $15,000 in prizes, only 250 tickets are sold at $100 each.
Head over to our website at https://StJudesFestivalWyn.square.site to place an order today!! Any questions email us at StJudesFestival@nullOutlook.com
Sand Lake Town Wide Garage Sale-Update
SAND LAKE – The Sand Lake Town Wide Garage Sale is set for September 19th and 20th. However, there will NOT be a vendor corral/flea market this year due to obvious public health and safety concerns. Rest assured many residents are moving forward with individual garage sales at their homes and the SLBA will facilitate these with advertising and the usual user friendly map. Register your sale at sandlakebusiness.com and click on EVENTS. It is free to put your residence on the map. Remember the web posting option whereby you can market your special goods online for a small fee. Garage sale shoppers like to hit the residence clusters, so encourage your participating neighbors to register as well. This popular event is sponsored by the Sand Lake Business Association.
Literacy 5K Run/Walk – with Virtual Option
SCHODACK LANDING – The Literacy 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for Saturday, September 19 from 8:00-11:30 a.m. at Schodack Island State Park. For those who choose not to join the event in person, there will be an option to participate as a runner or walker virtually. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the 5K trail run, youth mile, story walk, nature walk, and other activities. Prizes will be awarded to the fastest runners in various age categories. All proceeds will benefit Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County’s programs and services for adults and children in Rensselaer County and nearby communities. For full event details and to register, visit www.zippyreg.com. All decisions about public events at this time will be in line with NYS and CDC safety measures. Find more information at www.lvorc.org.
Virtual Girl Scouts Open House
EAST GREENBUSH – Girl Scouts Service Unit 136 (East Greenbush) is holding a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 22 from 6:30-8:00pm on Zoom. Find out more about Girl Scouts and register for the 2020-2021 year for girls of all ages (grades K-12). Girl Scout leaders will be on Zoom to answer questions. Email su136girlscouts@nullgmail.com for Zoom link or more information on Girl Scouts.
Outdoor Flea Market
EAST GREENBUSH – First United Methodist Church, 1 Gilligan Rd. East Greenbush. Sat. Sept. 26th 9-3. Reserve a space for your table-tent, size 10’x10’ for $15 by 9/18. Call the church office at 518-477-9693. Event is rain or shine and no refunds.
Winter Raptor Fest 2020 Virtual Event Takes Flight!
CAPITAL DISTRICT – It’s all systems “GO” for Grassland Bird Trust’s (GBT) 10th Annual Winter Raptor Fest (WRF) Virtual Event! Winter Raptor Fest provides an exclusive opportunity to see hawks and falcons in flight and get up close and personal with a wide variety of live birds of prey.
SEE and learn about live owls, hawks and falcons through a new lens! MEET Short- eared owls, American kestrels and other imperiled raptors in the “natural” grassland habitat they depend for their survival. ENCOUNTER night owls, a Lynx, Red fox, porcupine and native hawks on a virtual walk through the woods.
You’ll also see flight demos by master falconers, learn interesting facts about the birds and their environment and find out more about GBT’s work. This professionally designed and directed virtual event is being produced in collaboration with Look Media and Junda Video. Filmed live from the Washington County Fairgrounds.
Each Viewing Pass donation directly supports GBT’s work to permanently protect critical habitat for rapidly vanishing grassland birds. After you make your donation you will receive a link to view the event beginning at 9am on October 18th. You and your family can view as many times as you want through the end of November!
Viewing Passes start at $25 ($20 for GBT Members) for a family. WRF 2020 Special: make a donation of $100 or more and receive a viewing pass, a one-year family membership to GBT and a free Bird Collective t-shirt (or $40 off your Bird Collective order)! Visit www.winterraptorfest.com to learn more or call 518-499-0012. Learn more about GBT’s work at www.grasslandbirdtrust.org
Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents Virtual Retreats
CAPITAL DISTRICT – Saturday October 24, 2020 or Saturday, November 21, 2020. 10:45am-3:00pm. Losing a child under any circumstances is horrendous. Focusing on the spirituality of the grieving process can help tremendously. Just as He comforted His grieving disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus comforts us and we comfort each other in this very special ministry.
Join other Emmaus Parent Companions in a warm and loving place— to think, to talk, to feel, and to pray. Find compassion, rest, and peace… at least for a time.
Donation: Optional Free-Will Offering to cover technical support, retreat materials and shipping costs.
Pre-registration is required. Price: Optional Free-Will Offering to cover technical support, retreat materials and shipping costs.
Internet connection and computer literacy required. You will receive an Emmaus Zoom Meeting ID and Password after you register.
More information & registration link: https://www.rcda.org/offices/pastoral-care-ministry/emmaus-ministry-grieving-parents-retreat. Contact 518-641-6818 for information or to register.
Ultimate New England Shopping Trip to Benefit Hope 7 Community Center’s Food Pantry
CAPITAL DISTRICT – The 2020 Ultimate Shopping Trip to New England departs from Dick’s Sporting Goods, Latham Farms, on Friday, November 6th at 7:15 am and returns, Sunday, November 8th at 9:00 pm.
Stops to include the Vermont Country Store, NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, King Arthur Baking Co., Wine Tasting at Seven Birches Winery, The Christmas Loft, Settlers Green Outlets & Merrimack Premium Outlets
Accommodations provided by Hampton Inn and Suites, North Conway. A complimentary breakfast Is included with your stay.
Cost per person (based on room occupancy) – Double: $395/person or Triple: $345/person.
The fee includes the bus, hotel, driver’s tip, wine tasting and dinner Friday & Saturday night. Limited spaces available.
For more information or to reserve your space, please contact Michelle at 518-590-6781 or mhouser35@nullaol.com.
Golf Tourney to Benefit Alzheimers
CAPITAL DISTRICT – More than 20 million Americans are living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. Each of us know someone whose life has been affected by this terrible disease. It has certainly had a profound impact on my family. We invite you to come support the cause and join us for a great day of golf to help raise awareness and find a cure. Details: September 25th at the Burden Lake Country club, $110 per person. 4-person scramble, shotgun start, food and drink included. Contact Keith Stay at keith.j.stay@nullgmail.com or 518.944.7288 for registration information. If you represent a business, sponsorships are also available: $100 Tee, $250 Cart, $500 meal, we will create signage or use yours. All entry fees and sponsorships are tax deductible. Burden Lake CC is well equipped to make the event safe and fun. Get your foursome together and we’ll see you there!
The Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake Fundraising Drive
SAND LAKE – The Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake is supporting a charity fundraising drive within the Averill Park Central School District to benefit the Capital Region’s Ronald Mc Donald House. The fundraising drive has been extended until February 28th since schools have not been in session for over four months. The goal remains to collect enough pull tabs from soda, beer, soups and pet food cans to fill a school bus!
We ask that parents of our school children and other interested citizens join this effort by removing and collecting as many pull tabs as possible during the months ahead and while schools remain closed take them to the Town Clerk’s office at Sand Lake Town Hall. When schools reopen all collected pull tabs may again be dropped off at the office of one of our three elementary schools, the Algonquin Middle School’s office or to the office at the Averill Park High School.
Please join us to help the Ronald McDonald House as it continues to offer a haven of comfort, love, hope and support – free of charge – for critically ill children and their families. Thank you.